


learning like a riot

by orro



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Gen, Pre-Canon, Push/Pull - A Vikturio Zine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-27
Updated: 2019-01-27
Packaged: 2019-10-17 19:29:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17566586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orro/pseuds/orro
Summary: Victor digs deep into his soul and finds a sunny bit of cheer; he draws it out and smiles brightly as Yuri Plisetsky goes stomping and screaming into the locker rooms. The other skaters and employees of the rink are staring at him but he keeps on smiling, as if this is all part of his genius plan to take over coaching Yuri while Yakov is out sick.





	learning like a riot

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Push Pull Victurio zine. Thank you mods for all your hard work!

Victor digs deep into his soul and finds a sunny bit of cheer; he draws it out and smiles brightly as Yuri Plisetsky goes stomping and screaming into the locker rooms. The other skaters and employees of the rink are staring at him but he keeps on smiling, as if this is all part of his genius plan to take over coaching Yuri while Yakov is out sick. 

There is no plan. It’s just Victor thinking he could handle one kid and being proven wrong quicker than Makkachin eats her treats. Victor could convince a blizzard to retreat sooner than try to impart any skating wisdom onto Yuri. 

He slots his blade guards on and follows after Yuri, determined not to get bested by a child. There’s a small voice in his head that says this is payback but that’s nonsense; he was a model youth. 

Victor eventually finds Yuri hiding in the showers, fully clothed, one hand pressed to his mouth as if trying to hold back more screams. 

“Are you biting your hand?” Victor asks, blinking.

“You aren’t my coach,” Yuri snaps at him. He sits on his hands and glares at Victor. 

“I’m not that unlucky,” Victor agrees and Yuri’s eyes widen a little at that. “What? I know you’re acting out because Yakov isn’t here. I’m not that stupid. But you do realize he’s going to hear about all of this once he comes back?” 

“If,” Yuri mutters.

Victor sighs and carefully sits down on the other side of the shower, thankful that Yuri picked one with a dry floor. It’s going to be a pain to get up in skate guards but here he is. 

“He’s only got a cold. Honestly, the biggest reason he’s staying away is so that he doesn’t get the rest of us sick. It’s really not that bad,” Victor says. He saw Yakov yesterday and all Yakov did was yell at him for trying to play coach instead of focusing on his own skating. Victor is trying to do everyone a favor here because Yuri has been ignoring every single coach and assistant here and he’s causing a havoc. “He spent the hour I was there criticizing me for trying to coach you.” 

Yuri is quiet for a moment. 

“Yeah, that sounds like him,” he says. He glances at him. “Why are you bothering trying to teach me anyway? Don’t you have a magazine to interview for or some dumb makeup blogs to host?” 

“What in the world do you think I do?” Victor asks, barely suppressing a laugh. It wouldn’t go over well. “Of course I do interviews and photoshoots but this is the off season; I need this time to relax and get ready for the upcoming season, just like any other skater. The music for my pieces isn’t done yet, the choreography is barely in its skeletal form, and I can’t decide which color theme I’m going with for my short program.” 

“You sound busy,” Yuri says. “Yakov will yell at me if I take time away from you so thanks for all of your help but-” 

“I’m not doing anything differently than anyone else. All of the other skaters here are in the same position. Even you, stubborn and surly as you are, have to contend with all of this. You might not be able to commission original music but you have music edited to fit your skate, you have choreography from your coaches, and you have costumes to get fit. So, Yuri Plisetsky, why are you throwing this tantrum instead of listening to your coaches and training?” 

“I’m not throwing a tantrum!” Yuri says. “You’re not my coach! And none of those people out there can tell me what to do! Yakov is my coach!” 

“He’s my coach too,” Victor says. “But he hasn’t been my only coach, just my best one. I won before without him.” 

Yuri sits up a little, mouth slightly open. 

“Do you not like Yakov?” 

“Where did you get that idea from?” Victor asks, frowning at him. 

“You just said-”

“It’s a fact,” Victor says. He raises his head as someone enters the stalls and turns the water on. It’s going to leak over here, he’s sure, and he does not want to get wet with bath water. It’s bad enough he’s sitting on the disgusting shower floor. “Yakov is invaluable but he’s not the beginning and end of my career. Because that’s what this is for me. So let me ask you; is this your path or your hobby?” 

“Ice skating is my life,” Yuri snaps, a hint of surprise in his eyes at how fervently he responds. Victor nearly gives him a lopsided grin before he schools it into something more appropriate. 

“Then let’s go train,” Victor said cheerfully. 

Yuri stares at him then stands up and nearly runs to the rink. Victor follows the sounds of his skate guards clicking against the ground. Then he is on the ice, gearing up for a jump when Victor catches up just in time to see him fall. 

“Ooh,” Victor says. He understands now why Yakov had told him to wait to jump quads till he was older. Yuri is enthusiastic and capable but he doesn’t listen; his take off is abysmal and Victor can already see how it’s going to warp his body into something that can’t skate long before his time. 

But of course Yuri would never listen to something sensible like that. That’s too much talk about a future without skating, something that no one ever likes to hear about even if Victor can see it on the horizon for himself. 

Yuri skids to a stop. 

“What does that mean?” he snaps as Victor steps onto the ice. 

“Your axis is all tilted. The way you lean and move into it, you look like you’re about to fall over,” Victor explains, trying to demonstrate with his hands. He can tell he’s only confusing the boy more though. “That’s probably why you aren’t able to stick a clean landing as often as you should. You don’t have the room to correct yourself.” 

Yuri stares at him. 

“Does that make sense?” 

“Not really,” Yuri says. 

“Okay well then let me try to explain it a different way. When you jump you should feel like it’s a shoo-wish. And that’s how you know you’ve taken off correctly. But when you jump it probably feels more like a shloo-woop, right?” 

“What.” Yuri looks at him like he’s gone mad. Victor widens his smile. 

“Exactly! Now you’ll be able to land more often!” 

“Land what? You haven’t explained anything!” 

“I did explain it perfectly,” Victor says, mock patient. He twirls his finger in the air as if that would help. It’s only going to infuriate Yuri more and Victor inwardly giggles as he does so. “Your take off is messing up your jumps and you need to work on it. Once you do you’ll land more of your jumps correctly. I can’t say it anymore clearly.” 

“Sure, my jump is messed up, I got that, yeah, but how do I fix it? You didn’t say anything about that,” Yuri says. 

“Oh I never had that problem,” Victor says cheerfully. “You could probably ask one of the assistant coaches though. They deal with these beginner mistakes all the time.” 

“What the hell?” Yuri says, not even realizing that he’s cursed out loud, he’s so flabbergasted. People are looking at them but they have been since the beginning. Victor makes sure to keep smiling. “You said you were going to coach me!” 

“I am. I told you what your problem is. And I told you where to find a solution. Do you really think I can just give you all the answers? If it were that easy everyone would be a gold medalist,” Victor says as he tosses his fringe back with a laugh. 

“You’re not a good coach at all!” Yuri cries out as he stamps his foot against the ice. 

“How hurtful,” Victor says. He presses a hand to his chest. It’s so easy to rile Yuri up. He’s going to hear about this from Yakov later but if it works then at least he’ll have that in his court. “I’ll have you know I am a very good coach. Maybe you’re just not a good student?” 

Yuri is staring at him, and Victor can practically see the way he fights back the desire to punch Victor in the face. It’s not the first time he’s seen that expression on someone but usually they’re closer to his age. On little Yuri who still has round cheeks and a bowl haircut, it’s adorable, though Victor has no intention of saying that out loud. 

“I am not going to be coached by you,” Yuri declares and to Victor’s delight, skates over to one of the other assistant coaches. He’s too loud still, directly pointing at Victor as he calls him names, and he’s saying some very unflattering things about him.  
Victor quickly turns away and covers his mouth so that Yuri can’t see his triumphant smile. 

It’s tempting to sit back and watch him but Victor has his own skating to focus on. He wasn’t lying when he said the choreography to his pieces was barely there and he takes the chance to work out the steps before his first jump; he finishes his on ice session unconvinced about the current set up but having made progress.

Victor takes a few minutes to observe Yuri as he cools down. Yuri isn’t docile, and he’s arguing back far more than any of the other juniors, but he’s accepting the assistant coach’s criticisms and taking the feedback into account. He falls on his toeloop but it’s an overrotation instead of a full fall or a hand down. 

Victor presses a finger to his lips as he steps off the ice and makes a mental note to keep an eye on Yuri Plisetsky. He’s years away from being a threat to him. But it doesn’t do to get complacent. And he’s sure that Yuri will surprise him sooner than expected.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments, kudos, and lurkers are all appreciated <3


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